Method and apparatus for printing and recording on a card



United States Patent 2,258,106 10/1941 Bryce 346/21 2,943,564 7/1960Demer.... 101/93 3,029,919 4/1962 Stine 197/1 9X 3,045,795 7/1962Morrison et a1. 197/20 3,146,702 9/1964 Buchsbaum et a1... 10l/90X3,254,594 6/1966 Phelan et a1. 101/93 3,291,040 12/1966 Holloran et al.101/93 3,291,277 12/1966 Borrelli et al 197/20 Primary Examiner-WilliamB. Penn Attorney-Michael S. Striker ABSTRACT: 0n superimposed printingform and record carrier blanks, printable legible symbols and recordingsare made, respectively, by the same impression means so that the sameinformation is represented by the same. The printing form and the recordcarrier are used for imprinting and recording on the same card so thatthe card has the same information legibly printed and also recorded forbeing read out by a machine.

Patented Sept. 29, 1910 Sheet 1 of 16 ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 29, 1970Sheet' 2 of 16 INVENTCR ,4 ,2;

' ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 29, 1970 Sheet INVENTOR #2 (201 2: if:

, ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 29, 1970 3,530,793

. mvgzmoR ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 29, 1970- 3,530,193

Fig 6 ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 29, 1970 Sheet 6 of 16 INVENTOR I m a m Nw m Ill! CA/V. J. 1 \h 58 i w MU 1111 i 0 I I l F 1 I 91A. I I l l [l n.II 1% llfill 8 3 Av .LJI- s V t 4 z i 2 R 8R ,0 wk 8 m Ah Q A TTORNEYSheet 7 of 16 kAAn ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 29,1970 I 7 ATTORNEY. I

Patented Sept. 29 1970 Sheet 1 M16 INYENTOR x M i f Ed -26. I c

l J \J/ 1 ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 29, 1970 Sheet INVENTOR m/.171 Pzw/m"Patented Sept. 29, 1970 I2 of 16 Sheet Patented Sept. 29, 1970 Sheet. [3of 1 Patented Sept. 29, 1970 Sheet 75 of 16 a INVENTOR 6 if [2/4125120.7 1 1 BY Ann. 1 J fi/kw ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 29, 1970 3,530,793

Sheet /6 0116 INVENTOR Karlara' {d dd ATTORNEY METHOD AND APPARATUS FORPRINTING AND RECORDING ON A CARD The present invention relates to amethod and apparatus for printing and recording information on a card orthe like, and more particularly to an arrangement by which the sameinformation is printed and punched into a card in a simultaneousautomatic operation.

The term "card is used in the present application to define any objectcapable of receiving imprints and recordings, for example punchedperforations.

The present invention is particularly concerned with an apparatusincluding a selective printing machine operable to print only selectedtext sections of a printing form onto a card or other copy sheet, and inaccordance with the invention, the information contained in the selectedtext sections is automatically recorded in the form of punchedperforations on the imprinted card.

In accordance with the prior art, cards or other copy sheets printed ina selective printing machine, have to be punched later on to recordinformation. Of the 80 positions of a standard punch card, often up to60 positions had to be punched corresponding to information alreadypunched on the card. Irrespective of that these operations require agreat deal of time, a great number of perforators and testingperforators including complicated mechanisms are required, and causeerrors which have to be checked again.

lt is one object of the invention to overcome the disadvantages of knownarrangements for punching informationrepresenting perforations into aprinted card, and to provide a method and apparatus for automaticallyrecording information on a card which has just been printed.

Another object of the invention is to print on a card information inlegible characters, and to automatically record, preferably by punching,the same information on the imprinted card.

Another object of the invention is to control the recording device, suchas a punching device, by reading out a record car rier whose recordingswere produced simultaneously with a printing form carrying the text bywhich the card is imprinted.

Another object of the invention is to provide a method and apparatus forautomatically and rapidly producing a punch card having legible imprintsrepresenting the same information as the perforations of the punchedcard.

With these objects in view, a preferred method according to theinvention comprises the steps of legibly printing information on a card;reading out information from a record carrier having recordings;transporting the printed card to a recording device, such as a punchingdevice; transferring the readout information to the recording device;and operating the recording device to record on the printed card thepreviously readout information. In this manner, a card having machinereadable recordings and legible imprints is produced.

The same information is printed on the blank card which is recorded onthe record carrier. It is advantageous to simultaneously produce aprinting form representing information, and recordings on the recordcarrier representing the same information. The printing form is usedwith the card so that legible imprints are produced on the same, andthereupon the recording device, such as a punching device, records thesame information on the imprinted card under the control of the readoutand storing devices. The term recordings is used in the presentapplication to describe recordings which can be read out by a machine.

The recordings on the record carrier which are read out are preferablymagnetic, but other recordings adapted to be read out by an opticalreadout device, or by a readout device using an electric contact feeler,may also be used. The printed card is preferably punched, but otherrecordings permitting automatic handling and sorting of the card mayalso be produced.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention, only selected sections ofa printing form are printed on the card, and only the same selectedsections of their record carrier are read out, so that the recordings orperforations on the printed card represent the same selected informationwhich is imprinted in legible form on the card.

One embodiment of an apparatus according to the invention comprisesprinting apparatus including printing means for supporting a printingform representing information, and producing legible imprints of atleast a part of the printing form on a card; readout apparatus includingmeans for reading out recordings representing information recorded on arecord carrier; storing means connected with the readout apparatus forstoring readout information; and a recording device, preferably apunching device, having an inlet for receiving the printed card from theprinting apparatus, and being connected with the storing means andcontrolled by the same to record the previously readout and storedinformation on the printing card, preferably in the form of punchedperforations, so that the card has legible imprints and punchedrecordings representing information.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention, impression means areprovided for simultaneously producing the text of the printing form andthe recordings on the record carrier so that the same information isrepresented by the printing form and by the record carrier. The printingapparatus is preferably a selective duplicator of known constructionwhich is capable of printing selected text sections, such as lines, ofthe printing form. The readout apparatus is operated by the printingapparatus to read out only recordings containing the same information asthe selected sections of the printing form.

The printing apparatus may include a printing drum, and each card isprinted during one revolution of the printing drum which is connectedwith the readout apparatus so that within the same revolution, therecord carrier is also readout.

One embodiment of the apparatus of the invention has stamping meansmounted on the printing drum adapted to produce magnetic script orlegible imprints. Before the printing from the printing form, thestamping device produces an additional record carrier, which is readouttogether with the first mentioned record carrier so that the additionalinformation printed by the stamping device on the card, is also recordedor punched into the card.

The printing apparatus is preferably a rotary duplicator from which amagnetic or optical readout apparatus is driven so that the readoutoperation is carried out simultaneously with the printing of the card bythe rotary duplicator, and the readout apparatus is controlled to readout only selected sections of the record carrier if the duplicatorprints corresponding selected sections of the printing form.

While the readout operation takes place during a single revolution ofthe printing drum of the rotary duplicator, it may be completed duringpart of the time required for one revolution. I

In a preferred embodiment, the duplicating machine includes acounterpressure roller which is operated by cams or electromagnets tocooperate with the printing drum only when a selected section of theprinting form passes through the printing line. The duplicating machineis provided with means for stepwise selecting lines of the printing formto be printed, and such means are connected with a readout device tocause stepwise movement of the same for successively reading out linesof recordings on the record carrier.

A rotary contact device is preferably provided for controlling theselective printing, and is connected with the means of the readoutapparatus by which the lines of recordings of the record carrier aresuccessively read out.

It is advantageous to magnetize the recordings of the record carrierdirectly before they are read out by the heads of the readout apparatus.lt is advantageous to first magnetically erase previously maderecordings on the record carrier, and to permit the storing of thereadout information in a storage means only when the readout head movesin one direction. A decoding device is advantageously provided betweenthe storage device and the punching device.

ln one embodiment of the invention, a plurality of readout heads isprovided for reading out the lines of recordings on the record carrier,and are rendered operable when the respective line is printed by theprinting apparatus.

The novel features which are considered as characteristic for theinvention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. Theinvention itself, however, both as to its construction and its method ofoperation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, willbe best understood from the following description of specificembodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings, inwhich:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view, and FIG. 2 is a fragmentary side viewillustrating the making of a printing form and of a record carrierrepresenting the same information, and being used for controlling theprinting and punching operations on the card;

FIG. 3 is a schematic flow diagram illustrating the successiveoperations according to the invention;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary perspective and schematic view illustrating anapparatus according to one embodiment of the invention including aselective duplicator, a readout apparatus, and a punching device;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary schematic side view illustrating a duplicatingmachine and connecting parts connecting the same with the readoutapparatus, one side wall being omitted for the sake ofclarity;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on line VI in FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary side view, partially in section along line VIIin FIG. 6, and illustrating the parts connecting the duplicating machinewith the readout apparatus;

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary view taken in the direction of the arrow E inFIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is a fragmentary side elevation illustrating the line shifting ofthe readout head;

FIG. I is a fragmentary side view, partially in section, illustrating anautomatic stepping device for shifting the line selecting cams of theduplicating machine, FIGS. 9 and I0 including a diagram illustrating anelectric circuit connecting the duplicating machine with the readoutapparatus;

FIG. I1 is a fragmentary side elevation illustrating a modifiedembodiment of the duplicating apparatus in which the counterpressureroller is operated by an electromagnet;

FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating the electric circuit of the machineillustrated in FIG. 11;

FIG. I3 is a fragmentary perspective view illustrating a modifiedembodiment of the invention employing a modified readout apparatus;

FIG. 14 is a diagram illustrating the electric circuit of theembodimentofFlG. 13;

FIG. 15 is a fragmentary perspective view illustrating anotherembodiment of the invention with a modified readout apparatus;

FIG. 16 is a fragmentary schematic side elevation ofa rotary duplicatorused in the embodiment of FIG. 15, one side wall being omitted for thesake ofclarity;

FIG. 17 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on line XVII in FIG. 16;

FIG. 18 is a fragmentary side elevation illustrating a mechanism foroperating the readout means to perform line steps; and

FIG. 19 is a fragmentary perspective view illustrating anotherembodiment of the invention incorporating a modified readout apparatus.

Referring now to the drawings, and more particularly to FIGS. 1 and 2,four sheets 1., 4, 5, 6 are placed in superimposed positions, althoughillustrated in a spaced position in FIG. 2 for the sake of clarity. Thestack of sheets is located between a type lever 3 and a platen 30. Typelever 3a has a special type face adapted to produce impressions whichcan be read out by suitable readout apparatus. Sheet] is a recordcarrier and receives legible impressions 2 which are adapted to be readout by a magnetic head. The known CMC 7 font is suitable for thispurpose. Sheet 4 is a carbon paper which produces corresponding imprintson sheet which is a printing form or master sheet adapted to be used ina duplicating machine. An inking sheet 6 follows the printing form 5,and produces on the right side of the printing form mirror script fromwhich duplicating copies can be made in a well known manner. The leftside of the printing form 5 receives from the carbon paper 4, legibleimprints so that the contents of the mirror script of the printing form5 can be ascertained.

It will be seen that 'by operation of a special typewriter producing CMC7 imprints, a record carrier sheet I having magnetic or magnetizableimpressions 2, and a printing form 6 having a text adapted to beduplicated are simultaneously produced, and that the informationcontained in the text of the printing form is identical with theinformation represented by the recordings 2 of the record carrier sheet1.

Referring now to FIG. 3 which illustrates successive operationsaccording to the invention, the special typewriter of which a type lever3 and the platen 3a were described with reference to FIG. 2, producesthe legible recordings on the record carrier sheet 1, and the mirrorscript text on the printing form 5. The printing form is placed on theperiphery of a printing drum 12 which cooperates with a pressure roller15. A blank card is inserted between pressure roller 15 and printingdrum l2, and due to the engagement of the printing form 5 with the blankcard 13, the latter is imprinted with a text of the printing form. Ifthe counterpressure roller 15 is moved away from the printing drum 12while undesired line sections of printing form 5 pass the printing line,the respective undesired sections are not printed, and only desiredsections of the printing form are printed on the blank card 13.

The impressions on the record carrier 1 are magnetically or opticallyread out by a readout apparatus R which includes readout heads 9 and 9b.The impulses produced by the readout apparatus are stored in a storingmeans 18, decoded in a decoding device 151, and supplied to a recordingdevice in the form of a punching device 17 of known construction. Theimprinted card 13' is also supplied to the punching device 17 which iscontrolled by the impulses received from readout device R, to punch theinformation contained in the recordings of the record carrier sheet 1into the printed card 13' so that the finished card 13" containsinformation in the form of perforations and in the form of legibleimprints. Since record carrier sheet 1 and printing form 5 weresimultaneously produced to have the same impressions representing thesame information, the same information is also represented by thepunched perforations and by the legible imprints on the finished card13".

The making of the record carrier sheet 1 and of the printing form 5 bythe special typewriter 150 is independent of the printing and punchingof the card, and can be carried out at a different time. FIG. 4illustrates an apparatus according to one embodiment of the invention inwhich a record carrier sheet and a printing form are used. The recordcarrier sheet 1 is placed on a table of the readout apparatus R andsecured by a clamping means 8. Illuminated slots 10 are provided intable 7 to permit an accurate positioning of the record carrier sheet Iin relation to the magnetic heads 9, 9a, 9b. Before the record carriersheet 7 is clamped, a line thereon is accurately aligned with one of theilluminated slots 10. An additional record carrier sheet la is alsoaligned with a slot 10, and clamped by suitable clamping means, notshown. The additional record carrier sheet la carries impressionscorresponding to impressions 2 on record carrier sheet 1, and adapted tobe read out by a magnetic head 9a.

The printing form 5 is clamped to the periphery ofa printing drum 12 ina position in which its lines extend in axial direction of the printingdrum, and the side of the printing form 5 which was provided with inkedimpressions by the inked sheet 6 faces outward. A counterpressure roller15 cooperates with the printing drum along a printing line located in aprinting plane 14 passing through the axes of rollers 15 and 12.

During rotation of the printing drum 12 in the direction of the arrow F,a blank card 13 is supplied to the printing line and imprinted with thetext of the printing form. If the pressure roller is moved to theoperative printing position only if a desired and selected line, orgroup of lines, of the printing form passes the printing line, onlydesired and selected lines of the printing form are printed on the blankcard 13, whereas undesired lines of the printing form are omitted. Card13 is then automatically transported by transporting means, not shown,to the position 13', and then transported by a conveyor 16a into theinlet opening 16 of a decoding device 151 which forms part of arecording and punching device 17.

The rotary printing drum 12 is connected by a shaft to a mechanismwithin the readout apparatus R which causes a movement of the magneticheads 9, 9a and 9b in the directions of the arrows G, which is thedirection of the lines of impressions or recordings on the recordcarrier sheet 1. The mechanism also causes shifting of magnetic head 9when the reading out of one line has been completed, and the magnetichead 9 is to be moved to the next following line of impressions forreading out the same. These operations will be described in greaterdetail hereinafter.

The impulses produced in the magnetic heads 9 and 9a by the magnetizableimpressions on the record carrier sheet 1, which are preferablymagnetized by magnetic head 9b, are amplified and supplied to storingmeans 18, preferably a core storage device 18 which has a storing meansfor each readout line. When card 13 moves through the inlet opening 16,it is sensed by a sensing means, not shown, which is connected withstorage device 18 and causes the storing device 18 to supply impulses tothe decoding device 151 representing the information read out fromrecord carrier sheet 1. Decoding device 151 controls the punching device17 to punch corresponding coded perforations into card 13 so that thecards 13" discharged from outlet opening 19 and deposited in a stack,are imprinted with legible impressions, and provided with perforationsrepresenting the same information. While the information can beimmediately determined by an operator reading the legible imprints, thecards can also be used in sorting machines and accounting machines whichare controlled by the punched perforations. Evidently, the device 17 mayproduce also magnetic recordings on the cards which can be interpretedin a similar manner.

Referring now to FIGS. 5 and 6, FIG. 5 illustrates parts ofaconventional duplicating machine including a printing drum 12 supportingthe printing form 5 and rotating in direction F. A gear train 20, 21, 22connects the printing drum with a shaft 23. A counterpressure roller 15is mounted on a lever 41, and can be operated by a linkage 35, 37, 42 tomove between the illustrated inoperative positions spaced from theprinting drum, and in operative printing position for pressing a blankcard against the printing form 5. The blank card is transported bytransporting rollers 50a and moistened by a moistening device M withalcohol in order to receive an imprint of the inked printing form 5.These conventional parts of a rotary duplicator are shown in FIGS. 5 and6 in connection with readout apparatus by which the record carrier sheet1 and the additional record carrier sheet 10 are read out, as describedwith reference to FIG. 4. The reading out takes place in the directionof the arrow G, and the shifting of the magnetic heads 9 takes place inthe direction of the arrow H, as shown in FIG. 6.

Shaft 23 which is driven from the shaft of the printing drum 12 carriesfixed thereon a wheel 24 carrying stepping pawls 26 and 27 cooperatingwith a ratchet wheel 28. Pawls 26 and 27 are biased by springs 66 and67. Pawl 26 transmits the rotary motion from wheel 24 to ratchet wheel28 which is connected by a flanged member 29 with cams 30, 31 and 32associated with the lines of the printing form. A cam 33 for printing ahead section of the printing form on all successive cards is fixed toshaft 23. During rotation of the printing drum and of shaft 23, cams 30to 33 cooperate with the follower rollers 34 of cam follower levers 35so that the same turn about the journal 36 in the direction of the arrow.1, turn lever 37 about its journal 38 whereby link 39 is displacedin'the direction of the arrow K acting on the pivot pin 39a of a pair oftoggle levers 40 and 41 so that counterpressure roller 15 is displacedand turns with lever 42 about journal 38 to the printing position inclose proximity with the printing drum 12. The exact position ofcounterpressure roller 15 can be adjusted by turning the eccentricmember 40a which provides the pivot axis for toggle lever 40.

By means of a flanged member 43, the line cams 31 and 32 can bedisplaced along shaft 23 to a position cooperating with a cam followerroller 34 so that the counter pressure roller 15 is also actuated underthe control of cams 31 and 32. In this manner, the counterpressureroller can be held in the printing position while a corresponding numberof lines of the printing form passes the printing line. In theillustrated embodiment l, 2. or 3 consecutive lines of the printing formcan be selected for printing during one revolution of the printing drum.The selection of lines of the printing form in this manner is known, andnot an object of the invention.

During rotation of the printing drum 12, the magnetic heads 9, 9a and911 also perform a motion in the direction of the arrow G for readingout lines of the record carrier sheet 1, and of the additional recordcarrier sheet 1a.

The pawl-carrying wheel 24 has peripheral gear teeth meshing with apinion 44 which drives a gear 45 on a shaft 46, as best seen in FIG. 6.A bevel gear 47 on shaft 46 meshes with another bevel gear 49 secured toa spindle 48 which is rotatably mounted in a frame of the machine.

Spindle 48 has a grooved track 50 engaged by a follower shuttle 52mounted on a holding screw 51. Screw 51 is secured to a plate 53carrying a rod 54 which is slidably mounted in a body 56, as best seenin FIG. 7.

A body 55 is secured to rods 57 and 58, while body 56 by which theshifting of the magnetic head 9 to different lines is controlled, ismounted for sliding movement on guide rods 57 and 58. A winding, notshown, magnetizes the magnetic head 9b so that the same magnetizes themagnetizable impressions on the record carrier sheet 1, whereas anotherwinding, not shown, is energized by thereadout head 9 when the magneticimpressions are read out. The readout head 9a on body 55 reads out aline on the additional record carrier sheet la.

In a modified arrangement of the magnetic head means 9, an eraserwinding is provided for erasing remnant magnetism, whereupon themagnetizing winding and the readout winding become successivelyoperative.

In the embodiment of FIGS. 6 and 7, the readout head 9 is renderedoperative by electric switching means, not shown, when plate53 hasreached an end position after moving in the direction G and abuts stop61 on spindle 50. The readout head 9 is again disconnected from thecircuit when plate 53 arrives in its other end position abutting thestop 62. In this manner, reading out of a line of recordings in thewrong direction from the right to the left is prevented.

While magnetic heads and magnetizable impressions have been described,it will be understood that optical readout means, or sensing means forreading out graphite recordings on record sheet 1 may also be used.

After a line of recordings on record carrier sheet 1 has been read outcorresponding to a line printed from printing form 5, and another lineor section of the printing form is to be printed and punched on thecard, line cam 30, and if desired also line carns 31 and 32, must moveopposite to the normal direction of rotation F, while the readout headmakes a step in the direction H.

A shifting roller 63 which is mounted on a stationary frame wall, asbest seen in FIG. 6, is shifted to a position located in the plane ofthe pawls 26 and 27 as illustrated by dash-and-dot lines in FIG. 6. Whenshifting pawl 27 runs against shifting roller 63 during rotation of pawlcarrying wheel 24, pawl 27 engages the ratchet wheel 28, and causeslocking pawl 26 to release the same so that a spiral spring 64 whoseends are secured to a hub portion of pawl carrying wheel 24 and to theflanged member 29, turns the latter together with line cams 30, 31 and32 in a direction opposite to the arrow F until a tooth of ratchet wheel28 abuts a tooth 65 of shifting pawl 27.

